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UJesu LoJohane UMbhaphathizi
1 UJesu wathi eseqedile ukulaya abafundi bakhe abalitshumi lambili wasuka kuleyondawo ukuyafundisa lokutshumayela emadolobheni aseGalile.
2 UJohane esentolongweni wathi esizwa ukuthi uKhristu wayesenzani, wathuma abafundi bakhe 3 ukuba bayembuza bathi, “Unguye yini ozayo kumbe silindele omunye na?”
4 UJesu waphendula wathi, “Buyelani liyebikela uJohane lokhu elikuzwayo lelikubonayo ukuthi 5 Iziphofu zenziwa zibone, abaqhugezelayo bayahamba, abalobulephero bayahlanjululwa, izacuthe ziyezwa, abafileyo bayavuswa, levangeli liyatshunyayelwa kubayanga. 6 Ubusisiwe umuntu ongakhubekiyo ngenxa yami.”
7 Kwathi abafundi bakaJohane sebesuka, uJesu waqala ukukhuluma labantu ngoJohane esithi: “Laphuma lisiyabonani enkangala na? Umhlanga owazunguzwa ngumoya na? 8 Nxa kungayisikho, pho lalisiyabonani? Indoda eyayicecile na? Hatshi, labo abagqoka izigqoko ezinhle basezigodlweni zamakhosi. 9 Pho laphuma lisiyabonani na? Umphrofethi? Yebo, ngiyalitshela, odlula umphrofethi. 10 Lo nguye okulotshwe ngaye ukuthi:
‘Ngizathuma isithunywa sami phambi kwakho,
esizalungisa indlela yakho phambi kwakho.’*
11 Ngilitshela iqiniso ukuthi, phakathi kwabo bonke abazelwe ngabesifazane akukaveli loyedwa omkhulu kuloJohane uMbhaphathizi ikanti lowo ongomncinyane kakhulu embusweni wezulu mkhulu kulaye. 12 Kusukela ensukwini zikaJohane uMbhaphathizi kuze kube khathesi, umbuso wezulu wala uqhubeka ngamandla ngoba abantu abalamandla bawubambile. 13 Ngoba bonke abaPhrofethi kanye loMthetho baphrofitha kwaze kwafika uJohane. 14 Ngakho nxa likwamukela lokhu, ungu-Elija okwathiwa uyeza. 15 Lowo olendlebe zokuzwa, kezwe.
16 Kambe ngingasifanisa lani isizukulwane lesi na? Banjengabantwana abahlezi emikambo bememeza abanye besithi:
17 ‘Salitshayela umhubhe,
kodwa kaligidanga;
salihlabelela ingoma yesililo
kodwa kalililanga.’
18 Ngoba uJohane wafika engadli njalo enganathi basebesithi, ‘Uledimoni,’ 19 INdodana yoMuntu yafika yadla, yanatha, bathi, ‘Nansi isidli lesidakwa, umngane wabathelisi lezoni.’ Kodwa, ukuhlakanipha kuziveza ukuthi kuqondile ngemisebenzi yakho.”
Maye Kuleyomizi Engaphendukanga
20 UJesu waseqalisa ukuwasola amadolobho lawo lapho izimangaliso zakhe ezinengi ezazenziwe khona ngoba kabazange baphenduke: 21 “Maye kuwe Khorazini! Maye kuwe Bhethisayida! Aluba izimangaliso lezo ezenziwa kuwe zazenziwe eThire leSidoni, ngabe kudala baphenduka begqoke izigqoko zamasaka, bazibhuqa lemlotheni. 22 Kodwa ngiyalitshela, kuzakuba ngcono eThire leSidoni ngosuku lokwahlulelwa kulalokho okuzalehlela lina. 23 Lawe Khaphenawume, kambe uzaphakanyiselwa emazulwini na? Hatshi, uzatshona phansi uye eHadesi. Ngoba aluba izimangaliso ezenziwa kuwe zazenziwe eSodoma ngabe ikhona lanamuhla. 24 Kodwa ngiyalitshela ukuthi kuzakuba ngcono elizweni leSodoma ngelanga lokwahlulelwa kulakuwe.”
Ukuphumula Kwabakhatheleyo
25 Ngalesosikhathi uJesu wathi, “Ngiyakubonga Baba, Nkosi yezulu lomhlaba ngoba uzifihlile lezizinto kwabahlakaniphileyo labafundileyo, wazambulela abantwana abancinyane. 26 Yebo Baba, lokhu kwaba yikuthanda kwakho.
27 Zonke izinto zethulwe kimi nguBaba. Kakho oyaziyo iNdodana ngaphandle kukaBaba, njalo kakho omaziyo uBaba ngaphandle kweNdodana lalabo iNdodana ekhethe ukuba imveze kubo.
28 Wozani kimi lina lonke elikhatheleyo lelisindwayo, ngizaliphumuza. 29 Zithwaliseni ijogwe lami, lifunde kimi, ngoba ngimnene futhi ngithobekile enhliziyweni njalo lizazuza ukuphumula kwemiphefumulo yenu. 30 Ngoba ijogwe lami lilula, lomthwalo wami kawusindi.”
* 11:10 UMalaki 3.1